Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

WHOOPIE! Yay! I've been waiting for the right occasion to make some of this little pies of goodness. I'm SORRY it has taken me so long to write this post, but I've been a little swamped with the holidays, etc. You understand don't you? OK good! So these were from my Christmas potluck at work, but don't think that they're just a holiday food. They would be YUMMY anytime of the year!!

After some digging around online and review-reading, I came across this recipe at Susi's Kochen. Let me tell you that I was a little daunted at first since I got home from dinner with my friend J around 10pm and I needed to make these babies super fast before I fell asleep in a bowl of cream-cheese icing... I was SO RELIVED to find how EASY and QUICK these were to make. These little cakes really bake and cool very quickly, and I was in bed before I knew it.



I invited the bf over to sample them. At first I just gave him the lone cake that did not have an other half (oops, make sure you count yours!), but he looked a little upset, so I sent him home with a whole pie for the next day. He loved them and so did everyone at work! You will get rave reviews too! :)

Happy baking!

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
Makes about 20 medium size pies

• 2 1/2 cups AP flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder (Can increase to 1 cup for more chocolate flavor)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter (at room temp)
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening (I used butter flavor)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 oz (one small bottle) red food coloring
• 1 cup buttermilk*

* If you don't have buttermilk, put 2 TBSP lemon juice in a measuring cup and fill to 1 cup line with milk

Make sure oven rack is in center position and heat to 350. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Sift together flour,cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl lined with wax paper (this will make it easier to pour later).

In mixing bowl beat butter, shortening and both sugars on low speed with paddle attachment, until just combined.

Increase speed to medium and beat until smooth and fluffy- about 5 minutes.

Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and food coloring until just blended (be careful not to get on your hands!).

Add half of flour mixture and half of buttermilk mixture to the batter on low until just combined. Scrape down the sides and add remaining flour and buttermilk mixtures until completely combined.

Using a cookie scoop or an ice cream scoop + spoon (to scoop batter out of scoop without losing shape), drop batter on lined baking sheet , spacing at least 2 inches apart. My ice cream scoop made pretty big cakes, so I started making mini ones by just using a spoon (+ another spoon to scrape).

Bake one sheet at a time for 8-10 minutes each, or until the cakes spring back when gently touched.

Remove from oven and let cakes cool on sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Filling

• 8 oz cream cheese (at room temp)
• 4 TBSP unsalted butter (at room temp)
• 3 1/2 cups (1 box) confectioners sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

While cakes are cooling, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed with paddle attachment. Add sugar on low speed and beat until combined. Add vanilla and increase speed to medium, beating until creaming and smooth- about 4 minutes.

Fill icing bag (or plastic bag) fitted with desired icing tip and pipe icing onto flat side of 1 cake.


Top with another cake, flat side down.

Enjoy!

-M